Friday, July 20, 2007

Woo-freakin-hoo!

I forget that not everyone who reads this blog (though really, it's most) are people I talk to face to face on any kind of semi-regular basis. So, not everyone knows about the job-ness, unless they were in Anderson for GESP or at Old Chicago for pizza before going to see Harry Potter. So, I suppose a story is in order. Yay, story time!

When I graduated from college with my degree in geology I fell back on my total slacker ways. I kept postponing my application process for grad school, and really, around here, that's about all you can do, especially with a Bachelor of Arts in a hard science. After waiting until after VBG got married, I began my search for a job. I ended up with a part-time, supposedly seasonal position, at the same craft store she worked at. My mother, on the other hand, would occasionally look online at a certain site to see if there were any GIS jobs that I could possibly do. I applied to several throughout the course of these few years, some even before I started working at Michaels. None of that ever bore fruit.

About a month ago, my mother was looking again, and mentioned an entry-level position somewhere in Ohio. She encouraged me (with a large clubbing object) to go ahead and send them my resume. Since at one point about a year ago I had thought seriously about moving to Bloomington with Ellie, I had a relatively decent resume made up already, so I emailed it to this place in Ohio. A week passed, and no email from them even saying they got my resume. I figured they just trashed it like pretty much all other places, and became convinced I have to know someone at a place to get a job there (Baskin Robbins and Teacher Incognito, Michaels and VBG).

A couple of days after I thought this, I got a post card. From Ohio. "Hey, we're just letting you know we got your resume, and if it fits our criteria, we'll be in touch." Oh, wow, never got real mail like that before!

So, they have it, but a couple more weeks pass, and I don't hear anything, which really isn't that unusual. Thursday July 5, while I'm at work (closing shift), a guy from TGS calls my house. "Oh, she's at work right now." "Oh, then have her call this number tomorrow before 3." Since I was leaving for GESP that Friday, things got a little rushed, especially since they guy was on the phone almost all morning. I called about 4 times before leaving him a voicemail with my cell number in it, so he could call me back, since I had to get my check and do some last minute shopping before leaving town. When I was in the parking lot of Target (so Ross could get a pair of shorts that actually fit him) trying to find a parking spot, my phone rings. It's the guy. So, while Ross went in to shop, I spent a good 20 min talking to this guy. He gave me the rundown on the job, the company, a little on the town, that sort of thing. The he asked if I was still interested. Yes. "Ok, well, then, I'll email you an application and a questionnaire. Fill them out and send them back, and I'll give them to our hiring guy to look over. If he likes, we'll call you to set up an interview. Phone or in person?" "Um, phone would be best, I don't know how quickly I'd be able to make it there for an in person." "Ok."

I get home from GESP, end up having to go to the library to fill them out, since I needed a computer with Word on it, and mail it out the next Friday. On Tuesday (so they only had my app for a day or so!) I get a call. "We'd like to set up a phone interview. Tomorrow ok?" "Yes...no! No, tomorrow I work all morning. Thursday is better." "Ok, Thursday at 1." Which means 12 my time. Thursday rolls around, and my interview lasts 25 minutes. When it ends, the guy says he'll talk with the other guy (the one I talked to on the phone before) and if they both like me, they'll get back to me in a couple of days. I'm thinking they're gonna get together and be like "Eh, she's ok, but, eh...not really what we're looking for" and call me on Monday with a "We're sorry to get your hopes up." I go ahead and eat lunch and watch a little TV. Exactly an hour later, (the clock read 1:24) I get another call from them. I'm thinking they forgot to ask me something, or need some follow up questions or something. No. It's the first guy I talked to. "If you're really still interested, you're hired. We can start you in late August or in early September. Which works better for you?" "Uh...September...I need to sit down."

I'm still in shock. I'm nervous and a little afraid to be moving out there (to Wooster, OH), but this is waaaay too awesome to pass up.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

I need a paper bag....

...because I'm currently hyperventilating.

I had a phone interview at noon today, and got off the phone at about 12:25. An hour later I got another call from them. If I agree and sign the paper they send my in the mail tomorrow (though I won't get it til Monday at the earliest), I can start working in September!!!

Squeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


*takes a series of deep breaths*

Ok, must try to calm down now. I wonder when I should tell Karl?

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Hey, don't let the post below fool you, I was planning on writing another one of these things today. Really! I'm not shittin' you!

Unfortunately, if you're looking for interesting things I've done lately, you will be sorely disappointed. I don't feel like talking about E's party or possible job-ness right now. I'll save that for later. I promise. Though we may save the job thing for when I hear I don't have it. :P

No, instead, I'm going to talk about some of my weird yearnings. No, I'm not talking ice cream and pickles (I'm definitely not pregnant, and ew! Pickles), though ice cream is always good. No, I'm talking about the weird little thoughts that lead me to want to do crazy things that I'd need a smaller fear of people and hard work, and a winning Powerball ticket, to achieve.

Take, for instance, an idea I came up with while in college. My college was a small one, with a Dining Hall on one floor, and the "UG" (the UnderGround) in the basement. The UG was a grill; quick order, here's some fries, grab a drink, kinda place. They had some set meals, and I usually went with the grilled chicken or the chicken fingers. But, occasionally I would crave beef. However, the menu consisted of grilled steak and cheeseburgers if you wanted something that went "Moo". Now, I like steak fine, but I would still sometimes want a hamburger. Not a cheeseburger. So, I would joke that I wanted my burger naked, just like I liked my fries. And that got me thinking. Wouldn't it be cool to create a restaurant? The Naked Burger, where you get to pick what, if anything, goes on your sandwich, ranging from tomato and American cheese, to Feta and olives, to alfalfa sprouts and Italian dressing. I'd arrange it with levels; Level 1 being the normal stuff, boring cheeses, and the ability to choose up to 3 for one price, and 5 or so for another. Condiments (like ketchup, mustard, mayo) are included for no extra charge. Then Level 2 would be the weirder stuff, the Feta and alfalfa and such, if you wanted to go that far. It would be awesome! And it would involve capital I don't have, as well as a business sense.

Or how about the idea of a bunch of my friends and I opening a coffee shop/used bookstore? In someplace like Chicago. A coffee shop on ground level, with decent priced coffee and games to play and old cushy chairs to sit in and hang out. And a used bookstore in the basement/back room, where if you'd rather not buy, you could read while sipping your coffee. Still awesome.

Or even the most recent idea, thought of in the brains of myself and rabidmonkey, a product of our desire to ride rollercoasters. A musically-themed theme park! We'd have Country, where we'd put the wooden coaster; Swing/Jazz, where we'd put the inverted coaster and the swings; Rap, where we'd stick a regular metal coaster complete with graffiti-covered cars; Rock, with an indoor, strobe-infested coaster; and even Musical Theater! It would be soooo cool!

It's such a shame that my imagination is so much more powerful than my ability to actually do anything...

Hmmm.....

...Should I just start aiming for once a month??